1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a routing apparatus and method in a multi-hop cellular system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a routing apparatus and method in a multi-hop cellular system which selects an optimal path from a plurality of possible paths through the nodes and to a base station based on the signal strength between each node and the base station, the nodes comprising mobile terminals within the multi-hop cellular system.
2. Description of Related Art
In a routing method for finding a path between a base station and a mobile terminal in a multi-hop cellular system, only local information is typically used to find the path. Base stations select a route message which arrives first, and transmit a route response message via the path. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a prior art routing method in a multi-hop cellular system.
A mobile terminal 101 in a multi-hop cellular system finds another mobile terminal 103, which has the highest signal strength, among neighboring mobile terminals 103, 104, 105, and 106 in order to set a path between the mobile terminal 101 and a base station 102. In this instance, the mobile terminal 103 has the highest signal strength between each of the neighboring mobile terminals 103, 104, 105, and 106 and the base station 102. Based on this, the mobile terminal 101 selects the mobile terminal 103 as a subsequent hop.
The other mobile terminal 103 selects still another mobile terminal 108, which has the highest signal strength, among neighboring mobile terminals 101, 107, and 108 as a subsequent hop by using a same method. Accordingly, the other mobile terminal 103 may select a path between the base station 102 and the other mobile terminal 103.
However, in the prior art, only local information is used and a single path is maintained. Accordingly, global information is not used, and a plurality of paths are not compared to find an optimal path. Also, the amount of traffic in the network is higher since the conventional art is simply based on flooding.
Accordingly, there is a need for a routing apparatus and method in a multi-hop cellular system which selects an optimal path from a plurality of possible paths through the nodes and to a base station based on the signal strength between each node and the base station, the nodes comprising mobile terminals within the multi-hop cellular system.